Forum Flash | McConnell's moment

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell

In the scaled-down dramatics leading to this week's vote on raising the debt ceiling, Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell played a pivotal role in breaking a Ted Cruz-led stab at filibustering the issue, and helped bring it to a vote. According to a Politico article, the Senate Minority Leader was pressured by fellow Republicans to cast that vote - leaving his "fingerprints" on the action and himself vulnerable to tea party demogoguing, which has already occurred.

No matter the reason - Politico says "debt politics," which culminated in last year's 16-day government shutdown, have played havoc with the GOP's public approval - Mr. McConnell did the right thing in shutting down Mr. Cruz' daffy attempt to hijack the proceedings yet again. And good for Mr. McConnell.

As Sen. John McCain noted to Politico, "I must say that it was a very courageous act, especially Sen. McConnell, who - as you well know - is in a very tough race."

That Mr. McConnell then went ahead and voted against raising the debt ceiling isn't beside the point, but it also wasn't surprising: He split the difference, vote-wise if not politically.

But props for ending the filibuster attempt, even reluctantly. One out of two beats 0 for two any day.

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Forum Flash | McConnell's moment

In the scaled-down dramatics leading to this week's vote on raising the debt ceiling, Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell played a pivotal role in breaking a Ted Cruz-led stab at filibustering the issue,